The Box
by influenceONchildren
Summary: A box was used for storage and to hold things. How a person used it was their own personal choice.


**Well, last week I was helping JabbyChan with her birthday party. I tried a hookah. For those who've never tried it, it's like breathing in incense smoke. It's about as accurate as a description that you'll guys get.**

**Anyway, the story Jabby and I are working on is up. She wrote, I edited. Although, my edits weren't in the first six chapters, they will be in later chapters… and when I teach Jabby how to replace chapters and stuff. -.-; **

**Um, that story is kind of… graphic in later chapters. I don't want anyone's innocent minds being corrupted or anything (well, more corrupted than they already are). So, please, if you've never read an actual yaoi (and not that shounen-ai stuff that people **_**claim**_** is yaoi) and if you are not ready to read such a story, then I would recommend that you don't read it.**

**I remember my first yaoi. (shudders) It was so horribly written. I had no idea what was going on. Okay, it wasn't **_**that**_** bad. I was just really confused as why two of my favorite characters were doing what they were doing… I think that that was my corruption point… XD**

**So, anyway, this is my first fic that doesn't focus on Maka and slash or Soul (lol). And it's kind of based on **

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to keep posting these? According to U.S. law, yes, I do.**

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**The Box**

**By infidelityONcrank**

He stared intently at the cardboard structure. It had been there for a quite a while. Through rain and sun, it sat as colorful and strong as the first day he noticed it.

How long had it been there before he ever saw it? How long would it stay there? How long until his curiosity overwhelmed him into looking inside? What _was_ inside?

Oh, that was the question he wanted most to be answered. There was obviously _something _in there because the box hadn't moved an inch. Well, he _thought_ that it hadn't moved an inch. Perhaps by chance that it had…

He shook his head, messy blue hair, the bright hue of the sky, draping over his green eyes in clumpy strands. He focused his mind on the contents of the square object.

He wondered if there was some strange object from another planet. Of course, that was preposterous. Tsubaki had explained that aliens simply didn't exist.

He wondered if there was a body part, an arm or a leg. _That_ would be an interesting find.

He wondered if there were kitten bones. People often placed cute, soft little kittens they didn't want any more in boxes, so it seemed quite possible.

He wondered if there was rotting and decomposing garbage in it.

He wondered if there were books in it.

He wondered if there was gold from that bank robbery three months ago.

He wondered if there was anything in it at all.

A box was used for storage and to hold things. How a person used it was their own personal choice. He wondered if that person had ever put much thought in to why he decided to put whatever it was in a box near his apartment building.

He was always interrupted from his thoughts by the soft clearing of a throat.

"It is dinner time, Black Star." Tsubaki said from behind him.

He blinked and returned to the normal world. Yes, food. He needed in in order to function, in order to think, in order wonder.

He followed her, shuffling his heavy feet, into the kitchen.

She attempted to make small talk as they ate, but found no avail to the rather tedious task it had become over the last month.

"It is just a box, you know." she said for the umpteenth time. "We can just go down and look in it, if you want."

He blinked his green eyes at her.

"But that would take all of the fun away from wondering." he slurred, taking another healthy serving.

"Some times it is just better to know than to actually wonder."

"Who said that?"

"Huh?"

"Who was the wise-ass philosopher who said that?"

"Oh… my father."

"Huh… he never seemed the one for philosophy. Then again, he is _your_ father."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, trying not to sound too bitter. Her father was never one who really ever said anything wise or helpful, he would always joke around and play tricks on others. He was the one reason that she could have any control over her Meister at all.

"I don't know." he shrugged. "Your father just never really struck me as a person who gave any good advise. Well, there was his advise on women, but…"

She never thought much of her father being a man to understand women. She knew that he thought that all women were manipulative and slightly insane, which was partially true when she mulled it over, but she also knew that he could never figure out the female mind. It was a complicated structure that enabled a women to multi-task easily.

It made her lips twitch upwards in amusement.

"And, what was this advise?" she asked airily.

"Oh, uh… It's stuff that isn't really appropriate over the dinner table or around a lady like yourself.."

She cocked a groomed brow. Since when did Black Star care of what was appropriate around her. He was never really too ashamed to say anything in front of her.

However, she let the subject drop and started to gather the dirty dishes for a wash.

"Tomorrow's your birthday, right?" he asked, leaning back on his hands. He watched her curvaceous figure glide from room to room as she prepared for after dinner activities.

"You remembered." She didn't sound too surprised. He _always_ remembered her birthday. It was marked in his mind like the day he was found and the day he chose her as his personal weapon.

"Is there anything you want to do?"

"I'm going to spend the afternoon with Maka, Liz, and Patti. But, I'll be home to make dinner. We can spend the evening together."

"Okay, that'll give me time to prepare."

"Prepare what?" she asked, turning away from the crystal water as it filled the sink, steam rising in a gentle slithering snake that faded into nothingness.

"Your birthday present." he stated simply.

She watched him walk off to their room, closing the door to leave the both of them to their own tasks.

**

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**

He had spent the whole day working on his present for Tsubaki. Literally, as soon as she closed the door, he leapt from the couch and got to work. Not before he tripped over the back of the piece of furniture first, though.

It had purely been a stroke of luck that Maka had wanted to hang out with Tsubaki on her birthday. Liz and Patti seemed just as elated, the youngest Thompson being more expressive of her joy than her elder sister.

He had actually called up Maka the previous night for a recipe. He and the others had been guests to one of their private birthday parties for Soul, one that Maka had cooked up, and the petite blonde had made these simply mouth-watering entrees that his weapon had raved about for weeks afterwards.

Maka had been more than willing to give him the recipe, which he had hid away in one of his few books (a gift from the blonde). Tsubaki had dusted their little bookshelf that morning and he had fretted over her finding it the whole while. He was relieved when she hadn't noticed the slightly bookmark poking out the top with unusually neat handwriting scribed onto the white piece.

Now, he squinted down at his own script, dragging out what he needed starting to prepare. He frowned when he saw that they needed more garlic and the ravioli shells.

Slipping the hamburger back into fridge, he slid on his shoes and grabbed his wallet.

The local grocery corner store had everything he needed, including things that they would have to restock on later that week.

He pushed the cart down the aisles, scanning for anything else that would be of use. He stopped in the baking section, eyeing the cake mixes in their colorful boxes that promoted the sweet treats.

No, he would get another treat for her from the bakery that was on his way home.

He spent over fifty dollars, grumbling about the stupid economy and how prices sky rocketed after Bush became president.

The bakery was quaint and fairly nice, a place where Shibusen students gathered after their classes and on weekends. There was a decent sized crowd, but he knew that it would grow later in the evening. When he reached the front of the line, he made a quick order and got out.

The rest of the afternoon, he spent working on ravioli stuffing and making the tasty sauce.

By the time Tsubaki came home, he had finished and set the table.

"I'm home." she called to him. "What do you feel like for…?"

She stopped, seeing their table and the food on it. Most surprising was Black Star in an apron. Her apron, actually; the yellow one with the embroidered pink daisies and the ruffles.

"Did you make this?" she gasped.

"Uh-huh. Happy birthday!" he chirped.

She gaped as he took the gift bags the girls had given her. He set them in the living room, where he could peep at them later. He lead her to her spot and helped her to sit down.

"What…? How…?"

"Maka gave me the recipe to those ravioli that you liked. I remembered how much you liked them, so I thought I'd make them for you."

Tsubaki smiled and took a tentative bite. She found that it was even more delicious than she remembered.

Black Star watched her, smiling when he saw the pleased expression spread across her face. Her eyes lit up, a smile tugged at her lips, and her face completely relaxed.

Once he saw that she was happy with it, he began to eat but not with his usual gusto. He ate at a slower pace to savor the delight in his mouth.

He really had done well with this recipe, unlike the disaster Soul had concocted the time he attempted the same thing. The memory of that made him smile.

They had had to wait until Maka and Tsubaki had come back from their day of shopping before they could go out an get some food to eat. Maka had been frustrated that one of her pans had caught fire, nearly burning their apartment, building, and block down. However, she had liked, loved really, the fact that Soul had attempted something completely out of character for himself. (Soul had muttered for weeks how it wasn't cool that he couldn't cook anything. Black Star only egged on the negative comments his friend made about himself, which earned him with a punch from Maka, which he bruised from by the way.)

Black Star broke the silence by asking his Weapon, "Do you like it?"

She nodded vigorously, taking another bite.

Maybe he had a future in cooking. He smiled at himself and the amusing thought. Well, maybe he had a future in cooking for Tsubaki.

After the two ate their dinner, Tsubaki asked her Meister if he would join her for her evening walk. Really, she had no reason to ask him, he would always willingly go. He didn't like her going out alone, especially since it was getting dark.

So, he grabbed their keys and they stuffed on their shoes, heading out into the city world that they rarely saw.

The sun cast the streets with oranges, yellows, and reds. The buildings seemed to be an array of pastels that echoed the setting sun to the weary, slow day. Few people were out. here and there a child would run past and turn to disappear around a corner. They passed only one group of their fellow Shibusen peers, who smiled and spoke their best wishes to Tsubaki.

The dark haired girl stopped in front of the box that her Meister had longingly wondered the contents of as they headed back home.

Black Star hesitated at first but closed in the space between them to gaze down at the cardboard container.

"I think we should look inside." she said softly.

He frowned.

She bent down and slowly lifted away the tape that bound it closed. She raised the flaps, opening it for him to see.

Black Star released a breath he hadn't remembered holding in.

The box was empty.

There was no strange object from another planet.

There was no body part.

There was no kitten bones.

There was no garbage.

There was no books.

There was no gold.

It was absolutely empty.

Oddly relieved, he helped his Weapon up and lead her back to their apartment, where their dessert was awaiting them.

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**Yay…! Empty boxes rule. I mean, remember when you were little and your parents got a new refrigerator or stove or something, and there was that big box lying on the floor? I do. Those things were the bee's knees. XD**

**Well, besides all of my various writing projects, Jabby ended up getting me into **_**Avatar: The Last Airbender**_**, something I haven't watched in over a year. I've been rereading fan fiction from that section. Cactus juice, anyone?**

**Since she had to go and do that to me, I found out about the sequel, "Legend of Korra" (working title, not official title as of yet). Guess what happened? A plot bunny happened to land in my lap and won't leave me alone. So, once **_**CAFÉ EVANS**_** is wrapped up, I'll be posting that little rabbit for y'all to see.**

**By the way, the majority of this one-shot was written while listening to Anna Nalick.**


End file.
